Sponsor The Etosha Roadside Pride

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$500.00

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$500.00
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The Etosha Roadside Pride

Since the Etosha Roadside waterhole is close to Etosha-west and the Kaross-Block, with the porous western Etosha boundary fence allowing for easy movement of wildlife from east to west and vice versa (migration of wildlife takes place seasonally), the Roadside Pride range includes eastern Hobatere, an area of approx. 30km2 inside the Etosha’s western boundary as well as the Kaross Block (comprising 14’000 ha).

2013, the first group of lions was seen on trail-camera footage, including three females, one of which, Hpl-7 (Liluli), was collared in 2015 (re-collared 2017). Due to farmer-lion conflict along Hobatere’s southern border, most of the Etosha Roadside Pride were killed (2013-2016), with Hpl-7 and her group of one or two other lionesses and seven offspring taking over the Etosha Roadside range. During the second half of 2017, Hpl-7’s range shifted predominantly into Kaross Block, where she produced 2-3 cubs, December 2017 (we suspect that Hpl-7 abandoned the Etosha Roadside range due to the arrival of Hpl-1 and her pride of 7-9 lions). Due to the fact that Kaross Block falls within the Etosha NP borders (with high security due to Rhino Poaching), the regular, physical monitoring of this pride is not possible. However, via her GPS-Satellite collar, we are able to monitor Hpl-7’s whereabouts, confining her to within the boundaries of the Kaross Block.

Since June 2018, three lionesses (one adult, two sub-adult), have regularly been seen with Hpl-26 at the Etosha Roadside waterhole; we suggest that these three lionesses may be part of the original Roadside Pride, as they move back and forth from the Roadside waterhole into the Kaross Block and Etosha-west, with Hpl-26 in tow (their location logged with his way-points).